Basic Input Output System (BIOS) is a program stored in a Read Only Memory (ROM) on a mainboard of an electronic device and is firmware used for communication between hardware and an operating system of the electronic device. A system operating mechanism and hardware parameters of the electronic device can be set via the BIOS. Important programs associated with the electronic device such as basic input output program, system information setting program, Power On Self Test (POST) program, system bootstrap program and so on are stored in the BIOS. When the electronic device is booted, the BIOS calls the stored relevant programs to perform tests on the electronic device, and after the tests are completed, the operating system is loaded to a primary memory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) of the electronic device. However, if the BIOS is damaged by virus, the booting procedure of the electronic device cannot succeed.
In light of the above problem, a dual BIOS module mechanism is employed in the electronic device, which comprises an inherent primary BIOS module and an additional secondary BIOS module. When the primary BIOS module is damaged, the secondary BIOS module can execute the booting procedure of the electronic device and recover the primary BIOS module. Conventional dual BIOS module technology is characterized by mounting two BIOS chips on the mainboard, wherein one serves as a primary BIOS module and the other serves as a secondary BIOS module. When the electronic device is booted, the secondary BIOS module automatically detects a status of the primary BIOS module, and rewrites the primary BIOS module if any damage is detected in the primary BIOS module, so as to ensure the primary BIOS module always in a proper status. If the damage of the primary BIOS module cannot be recovered, the electronic device can be booted by the secondary BIOS module. The dual BIOS module mechanism requires two BIOS chips and thus has a relatively higher cost.
To address the cost issue, a separating BIOS technology is introduced such as SafeBIOS technology without necessarily using two BIOS chips. The separating BIOS technology is characterized by mounting a 4 MB BIOS chip on the mainboard, which is twice in capacity as large as a general BIOS chip, wherein the 4 MB BIOS chip is separated into two segments, one is a primary BIOS segment and the other is a secondary BIOS segment. The secondary BIOS segment boots the electronic device and automatically recovers the primary BIOS segment when the primary BIOS segment is damaged. Therefore, only one BIOS chip is required for such separating BIOS mechanism and does not increase the production cost. However, such technology raises reliability and security issues. If the BIOS chip is physically damaged, both the two BIOS segments fail and the electronic device cannot be successfully booted. Accordingly, the separating BIOS technology is not suitable for a case having the entire BIOS chip damaged.
The first invented portable BIOS module is named Air Bus, which builds a BIOS chip in a small card. If the BIOS module on the mainboard of the electronic device is defective, the card can be inserted into a specific slot formed on the mainboard such that the BIOS module in the card can boot the electronic device and recover the BIOS module on the mainboard. However, it is not convenient to always carry the card, and additionally having the card leads to a cost issue.
All the above types of the dual BIOS technology only provide one dual BIOS mechanism. If a user considers the current dual BIOS mechanism not suitable and wishes to use another dual BIOS mechanism, he/she needs to replace the mainboard with another one having the desirable dual BIOS mechanism, thereby causing a waste of time and money to the user.
Therefore, the problem to be solved here is to provide a BIOS selection device for integrating two dual BIOS mechanisms on a single mainboard of an electronic device and for a user to select one of the dual BIOS mechanisms to boot the electronic device, thereby avoiding a waste of time and money.